PAYDAY 2 Secret ARG
The PAYDAY 2 Secret ARG has existed since before the game's release, with content related to the Secret in the Guide of Bain, and hints to the Secret having been added into the game over the years. Due to the nature of the PAYDAY 2 Secret, this article will likely be split into multiple pages as it is expanded. PAYDAY 2 Secret discussion: https://steamcommunity.com/app/218620/discussions/8/558754900070975667/ Note: Use the Source editor while editing this page. Overview Keep speculation out of the initial descriptions, and keep the image descriptions factual and to the point. Section title ---- The Guide of Bain The Guide of Bain is a promotional PDF released as part of PAYDAY 2's Career Criminal Edition, to provide players with a rudimentary manual on the know hows of the game. Judging by the cover, the book itself was clearly originally owned by 'Cagliostro', as Bain has taped over his name on the cover and written his own name over the top. 'Cagliostro' is presumably Count Alessandro de Cagliostro, or Giseppe Balsamo, an occultist and noteable freemason with many stories associated with him and his travels. Throughout the guide, bain has written down various remarks in red ink on certain pages, some of which talk about Cagliostro, and how he was "on to The Secret". In addition to instructions on how to play the game, the guide also contains peculiar tarot-themed imagery similar to the engravings from the film "the ninth gate". Each of the nine images is signed by one of two authors, either 'CGO' or 'BDN'. It's pretty likely that CGO is Cagliostro, and many people speculate that BDN is Baldwin, who was referenced in the original PDTH secret. Codex Raptus (CGO) Codex (n.) "manuscript volume (especially an ancient one)", from Latin (source). Raptus is Latin for "seized", from rapere "to seize". "Codex Raptus" is likely meant to be interpreted as "guide to thievery". MDCCXCII is the year 1792. This image is a medieval-themed reinterpretation of the painting "De opstanding van Christus" by the "Master of the Amsterdam Death of the Virgin". The original painting appears inside of the meth lab on day 1 of the Rats heist. The Criminal Network (CGO) This image depicts a jester carrying a bag up a staircase to a small stone tower. There isa cluster of 3 mushrooms to the right of the steps, and a hot air balloon can be seen flying by in the background Strategies of the Successful Heist (CGO) A man peering through a spyglass stands atop a hill, beside a tree with an arrow through its trunk that is adorned with a crown, which has a square lantern containing a key hanging from its branches. Beneath the hill, a treasure chest can be seen burning. The crowned tree in this image is commonly used in kabbalistic imagery to depict the Tree of Life. An overt reference to this image appears in the 2 murals on either side of big bank's skylight, depicting a figure standing between four pillars, looking through a spyglass at something to his right and holding a single arrow in his left hand. Tools of the Trade (BDN) This image depicts an area at the end of a pathway between 2 buildings, with a bow drill placed atop a square slab-like object. The sun and moon are visible in the sky above either building, along the namesake imagery of the "Wheel of Fortune" tarot card in the Rider-Waite tarot deck. A single gravestone is visible infront of the building on the right. Appendices (BDN) A depiction of a scene near the corner between a tower and a castle wall. There is a small window on the side of the tower closed off by 3 bars, with a plaque with the number "IV" enscribed on it in roman numerals. A steady stream of water flows out of the window and down onto the ground, forming a small river past a wiry-looking shrub. A cloud with 3 stars under it sits in the sky above a depiction of Lady Justice, who stands infront of the wall holding a sword and a set of scales. Alchemist (BDN) This page shows a man wearing a long garment and a triangular necklace taking notes in what appears to be a small laboratory. He is holding a thick book under his arm with the number "III" on the cover in roman numerals. The poster affixed to the wall on the left side of the room is covered in alchemical symbols, from left to right: ☿Mercury, Salt, ☉Gold, ♎Libra (representative of the process of sublimation, ♄Lead, Possibly redlead?, Copper?, and the squared circle (symbolising the philosopher's stone) On the table in the background there is a skull with a bullethole in its forehead, along with 2 beakers containing some kind of liquid. Down on the floor there's a circular rug with a curious pattern on it and a 6-sided die that has rolled a 1. Death (CGO) Messenger (CGO) Prisoner (CGO) Wordsmith With the introduction of Commissioner Garrett and the subsequent Reservoir Dogs heist, Overkill_Wordsmith, the writer for Payday 2, has decided to take a more active approach to the secret, integrating it with the game's main storyline and giving the community text and image-based riddles to solve. Each image/riddle is listed below in the order they were released. FBI Files / MUDUTU Content sumerian cuneiform image From the hill To the path Of the river To the crossing of The honored dead At rest You will find a place Of reckoning Brooklyn bank Brooklyn bank was released shortly after garrett recieved the cuneiform message, where the gang retrieved an artifact known as "The Medallion of the Perseids" The cuneiform inscription around the edge of the medallion reads "For the watcher of the star" Map image The watcher Has fallen His end will Be delivered Nebuchandezzar Image Visually, Nebechandezzar here appears very similar to the man in the Alchemist image of bain's guide, and also looks somewhat like the person holding a staff watching the meteor fall in the diamond trailer. Top :: נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר :: Nebuchandezzar Forehead :: עִיר :: Watcher ('iyr) Chest :: נפילים :: Nephilim / Giant MUDUTU --- placeholder description of the app. The App also has a circular seal on the right side with a fleur and cuneiform below it. Cuneiform message: THE KINGS OF TOMORROW BOUND BY FORTUNE AND GLORY FOR THE WATCHERS OF YESTERDAY Seal #1 Center | fleur de lis - hollow part reminiscient of the gem in the medallion left | alchemical symbol for air? right | alchemical symbol for salt? bottom | silhouette of the reflected diamond symbol (more info below, see seal#2) The language used for the "MUDUTU" app is akkadian. MUDUTU; knowledge, awareness, wisdom 1st field | ATU = Gatekeeper -- porter (might be "login" of sorts) 2nd field | KUNUKKUM = Seal -- a cylinder-seal (might be stuff from the medallion) button | ERESU = Request Entering a message into the messenger and trying to send it results in the following error: >>> PHURUM <<< > ERRATUM: Non recta deducto PHURUM is an alternative form for the latin genitive plural of 'fur', which means 'thief'. So PHURUM = of thieves (as in, belonging to) The second half is latin for "correction of a published text": "incorrect deductions". Sending a request with missing fields returns: >>> PHURUM <<< > ERRATUM: Deficient Images Avatar Images Heist Speculation Dead Ends Several mysterious elements have popped up in PAYDAY 2 over the years, but have been concluded to not have any relation to the secret for the reasons listed. Infodump Use this to store unsorted information. Category:PAYDAY 2 Category:Secret ARG